PLSC 305-0 Fall 2015
MW 2:00-3:15
Pray-Harrold 421
[CRN: 13787]
[Credit Hours: 3]
Law & Policy in a Constitutional Democracy
Dr. Henschen
601 Q Pray-Harrold
Hours: MW 12:30-1:30, 3:30-4:30, and by
appointment
E-mail: bhenschen@emich.edu
Phone: 734.487.3113; 734.487.1398
In this course we will study lawmaking in the United States. While giving special emphasis to
Congress and the Supreme Court, we will also examine the important roles that the president and
administrative agencies play in shaping law and policy. The impact of federalism on lawmaking
and the evolution of constitutional principles and powers will also be considered. As we focus on
the actors who are engaged in making the laws that govern American society as well as the
institutional contexts in which that lawmaking takes place, a recurring theme will be the
complexity that characterizes public policymaking in a constitutional democracy.
Books: REQUIRED
Baum, Lawrence. 2013. The Supreme Court (11e). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage/CQ Press.
Loomis, Burdett A. and Wendy J. Schiller. 2016. The Contemporary Congress (6e).
Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Reading Schedule and Assignments:
September
9/Wednesday
Thinking About Democracy
14/Monday
Compromises and Choices: The Constitutional Context
16/Wednesday
The Congressional Design [Loomis & Schiller, 2]
21/Monday
Congressional Evolution [Loomis & Schiller, 8]
23/Wednesday
The Institutionalization of the Federal Judiciary [Baum, 1]
28/Monday
The Supreme Court and Policy Over Time [Baum, 1]
30/Wednesday
Congressional Elections [Loomis & Schiller, 6]
October
5/Monday
Judicial Selection [Baum, 2]
7/Wednesday
Elections and Selections Matter: the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
1
12/Monday
Exam I: Institutions and Actors
75 points
14/Wednesday
Agenda Setting in Congress: Interest Groups [Loomis & Schiller, 3]
19/Monday
The President as Chief Legislator [Loomis & Schiller, 5]
21/Wednesday
Reaching the Court [Baum, 3]
26/Monday
Deciding What to Hear [Baum, 3]
28/Wednesday
Issue Identification and Agenda Setting: the ACA
November
2/Monday
Exam II: Setting the Agenda
4/Wednesday
Congressional Policymaking: Parties and Leaders
[Loomis & Schiller, 4]
9/Monday
Congressional Policymaking: In Committees, on the Floor
[Loomis & Schiller, 7]
11/Wednesday
Representational Pressure [Loomis & Schiller, 1]
16/Monday
Writing Assignment Due in Class**
16/Monday
Decision Making in the Court [Baum, 4]
18/Wednesday
Influences on Judicial Decisions [Baum, 4]
23/Monday
Policy Outputs [Baum, 5]
25/Wednesday
No Class
30/Monday
Policy Choices: the ACA
75 points
40 points
December
2/Wednesday
Congress and the President [Loomis & Schiller, 9]
7/Monday
Judicial Impact and Implementation [Baum, 6]
9/Wednesday
The Court, Congress, and the President [Baum, 6]
14/Monday
Presidential Candidates 2016: Statements on Policymaking* 10 points
16/Wednesday
Take-Home Final Exam (turn in between 1:30-3:00):
Decision Making Processes, Policies, and Impact
100 points
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Overview of Assignments:
October 12/Monday
Exam I
75 points
[Loomis & Schiller, chapters 2, 6, 8; Baum, chapters 1, 2]
November 2/Monday
Exam II
75 points
[Loomis & Schiller, chapters 3, 5; Baum, chapter 3]
November16/Monday
Writing Assignment Due in Class**
40 points
December 14/Monday
Presidential Candidates 2016:
Statements on Policymaking*
10 points
December 16/Wednesday
Take-Home Final Exam
(turn in between 1:30-3:00)
[Loomis & Schiller, chapters 1, 4, 7, 9; Baum, chapters 4, 5, 6]
100 points
Note: On occasion, there may be an in-class writing exercise to ensure that you are keeping
up with the reading. These exercises will be considered extra credit opportunities.
Grading scale:
282-300 points A
94-100%
270-281
A-
90-93
261-269
B+
87-89
249-260
B
83-86
240-248
B-
80-82
231-239
C+
77-79
219-230
C
73-76
210-218
C-
70-72
201-209
D+
67-69
189-200
D
63-66
180-188
D-
60-62
Below 180
F
Below 60%
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Assignments
**November 16/Monday
Writing Assignment Due in Class
40 points
We expect our members of Congress to serve a variety of representative functions, e.g., taking
positions on issues, engaging in symbolic activities, helping with specific constituent matters,
and reflecting the views of their parties. In a carefully crafted essay, discuss the ways in which
your own member of the House of Representatives performs these tasks by addressing the
following questions.
Go to GovTrack.us and find your member of the House of Representatives. Where does he or she
fall on the leadership and ideology chart? What are your representative’s most recently
sponsored bills and votes on legislation? Now go to your representative’s website. What issues
does he or she emphasize? What committees and subcommittees does he or she serve on? Has
your representative made any specific references to health care or the Affordable Care Act on the
website or in speeches or press conferences? Did he or she vote on the legislation? Has he or she
said anything about wanting to repeal the act? Given what you are able to learn about your
member in the House and what you are able to glean about your congressional district, how well
is your representative reflecting the views of the constituency? How well is he or she
“representing” you in Congress?
Your paper should be about 5-7 pages, typed (double-spaced), with appropriate citations where
relevant.
*December 14/Monday
Presidential Candidates 2016:
Statements on Policymaking
10 points
Throughout the semester, watch for statements made about policy and policymaking by the 2016
presidential candidates. In particular, keep track of what they may have to say about health care
and the Affordable Care Act. During the class discussion, you will be asked to share a number of
these statements and identify the ones that you found most thoughtful, most simplistic, most
sophisticated, most bombastic, etc. Note: you will be turning in your lists of statements, so make
sure that they are typed and sourced (i.e., when/where was the statement made or published).
Include several statements by each of the candidates seeking his or her party’s nomination.
______________________________________________________________________________
Check your university e-mail frequently for announcements related to class.
Class attendance, good note taking, and careful reading are essential to doing well in this course.
It is also important for you to be present—to be fully engaged during lectures and in class
discussions. Laptops closed, phones put away…
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Additional information regarding classroom matters will be discussed in class.
BE AWARE OF THE UNIVERSITY’S POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY—GO TO
WWW.EMICH.EDU/STUDENTCONDUCT/INDEX.PHP
Go to http://www.emich.edu/uwc for information about the university writing center.
Dates and Deadlines
9/14/15
Last date to add courses via the web (a)
10/29/15
Last date to add courses with departmental authorization
9/17/15
Last date for 100% tuition refund (individual or total withdraw from term)
11/16/15
Last date for individual class withdrawal (with W grades) - No Refund
10/2/15 (b) Last date for 50% tuition refund (total withdrawal only) with W grades
10/29/15 (b) Last date for 25% tuition refund (total withdrawal only) with W grades
12/14/15 (b) Last date for total withdrawal from term (with W grades) - No Refund
9/17/15
Last date to declare pass/fail grading option or select to audit a course
12/14/15
Last date to remove pass/fail grading option and receive letter grade
Codes
(a) Initial registration occurring on or after the Part of Term start date will incur a one-time $140 late registration fee
(b) Date applicable only if student's classes are ALL within the same Part of Term and/or a later starting Part of Term
(**) A written request must be faxed to the Office of Records and Registration at 734.487.6808 before midnight
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